The Little Engine That Could
by thewarboys
Summary: Nux learns he has more potential than ever before, as Ace introduces him to the one thing no Pup should be without; Hope.


The war pup was not crying. No. War pups did not cry, that much he knew for certain. He was simply stressed, and angry. They were tears of rage, dripping down his bruised cheeks as he curled up tighter in his dark hiding spot, hands covering his mouth tightly to try to muffle the hiccuping sobs bubbling through him. It wasn't fair. Ganging up like that, and Slit had just watched, had just laughed and did nothing to defend him. That was not what Brothers were supposed to do! He had tried to fight back, but the other boys had been bigger, tougher, older and scrappier, and he was missing a couple teeth now and was too afraid to ask if those grew back or not.

Battered and beaten and mortified, Nux had dragged himself off to find a quiet spot to sort himself out. Maybe find a weapon for the next time… ultimately, he found himself crawling into an empty hull of a machine, the engine had been pulled for deep repair which had left a perfect hiding spot. If he could just keep himself quiet, no one would find him until he wanted to be found, or at least that was the plan.

Of course, not all plans went as they were meant to. And someone did notice, while passing the garage, the small, soft, sniffling sounds puttering out where an engine should be. The older War boy broke from the line of others all filing down the corridor for supper, and made way toward the old, rusted hull, listening a while in silence.

He could guess at who, or at least what, was in there. Some War Pup, no doubt. Or one of the little girls, run from the Den Matrons in a fit. Ace knocked gently on the hood, and leaned into the window frame.

"What's the problem, eh?"

From within the engine cavity, there came a hiccup and a squeak, followed by a tense sort of silence.

Ace's lips pursed, an exaggerated expression despite no one being around to see it.

"Not quite makin' the right sounds in there, fella. I mean, yer an engine, ain't yah? Suppose I could lift up the hood an' see what's troublin' yah, ol' girl."

He patted the hood, more gently this time, and walked around to the back to the car, instead, giving the hull a few more traveling pat-downs. "Exhaust, is it? Suspension? Did one'a those scrappers rough yah up while I was gone. What a shame...Ol' beaut' like you, ol' shiela...Tell Ace what's got yah in such a state."

Nux sniffed, shifting in his dark hiding spot to quickly wipe his face on his arms, wincing as he hit the bruises. "It's guts been scooped," He offered up quietly, barely a rumble through the hood, "S'why it won't run." He'd been caught alright, but at least it wasn't by those vicious pups.

"Oh! Horror! Unforgivable, that's what it is... " Ace made his way back over to the hood and gently lifted it up, leaning on the bumper as though inspecting the damage. "Did you eat her guts up, then, eh? Hoo, well…"

His voice went low and gravelly, a mock at disapproval as he tutted his tongue against his teeth and reached in to lightly jab a finger at the pup's belly. "Don't wanna know how that's all gonna come out."

Nux flinched at the light and the poke, but even as the pained little growl escaped his throat, he couldn't help but smile a bit at the War Boy's absurdity. You couldn't eat an engine, even if he had tried. "I'd be less hungry if I ate it," was the best retort he could muster, sniffing again before remembering his manners and wobbled to his feet to balance on the hull.

"Almost looks like someone ate you up an' spat you out again…" Ace hooked his hands under the young pup's arms to hoist him free of the engine space, but didn't put him down. Instead, his arms readjusted, hooking one beneath the boy to prop him on his hip, using the other hand to lower the car hood again.

"But if you were sniffin' 'round for a ration, you were lookin' in the wrong place. Easy to get lost here. Why don't yah come have supper, eh?"

"They'll spot me there and take it," The pup grumbled bitterly, not meeting the older War Boy's eyes, instead concentrated on the series of lumps on Ace's cheek and neck. Worrying his lower lip, he gingerly poked at them, to see if they were hard or soft.

The smaller ones were firm as stones, while the larger were slightly more supple, and the boy's curiosity made Ace grin.

"Well, how about I bring supper to you, then. Can't have you wastin' away."

Nux was almost too afraid to agree, but finally did lift a wary glance to meet the War Boy's eyes as though gauging whether the offer was legitimate or not. As though suddenly worried he might find him weak, he straightened up in Ace's arms, announcing firmly, "I aint afraid of them! But… but I like the cars. Even if they been scooped out."

"'Course not! You're a tough fella. Truth be told, I'd rather eat with the cars, sometimes, too."

With that, Ace finally set the pup down, and pulled a discarded tool belt off one of the tables, handing the heavy thing down to the boy. "Here, see if you can get that on."

Once the child was occupied, Ace turned to leave, and several minutes later returned with two bowls of greens.

Nux had taken the belt reverently, as though he had been entrusted with some sort of sacred armor, and had fussed with it the entire time Ace had been gone. By the time he returned, he had managed to loop it around his tiny middle twice, and was just finishing fumbling with the buckles. "It won't fit but I made it fit!" He announced proudly, bouncing on his heels at his new friend. His appetite was returning, even at the sour smell of the boiled mush they were given.

"Oi, look at that! Lookin' like a real War Boy now! Best eat up like one!" Ace handed a bowl down to the pup and walked over to the emptied car to swing open one of the doors, and climbed in, leaving the driver's seat open.

"You oughta have a Brother. Yer the right age for one. You two get in some sorta scrape?"

Nux fell quiet again as he scrambled into the driver's seat. He couldn't see over the dashboard, but it was fun all the same… at least until Brothers were brought up. "I got one. Don't think he likes me very much," He poked at the greens, popping a bit into his mouth to chew for a moment. He let his feet kick over the edge of the seat, mulling over everything. "He's no fun, really." And that was being polite. "And his games aren't fun."

"Mmh, well…" Ace shovelled a fistful of greens into his mouth, and rested an elbow over the open edge of the car window. "Some pups have it hard. Had a dog 'round here once, when I was your age. Thing was kami-crazy. Feral. Snapped at everythin'. Didn't start out that way, though. Takes bad things to turn pups bad. Mean ones ain't born that way."

As the story unfolded, Nux's attention returned to Ace's face, quietly munching away at his meal as he thought about it. He'd heard the word Dog before, usually in regards to Them. War Dogs. The boys and men who served their Immortan. "What happened to him? Did he die well? Did you witness?"

Ace frowned for a moment, then chuckled. "Well...he went down fighting. Point is, though, probably ain't about your Brother bein' sore about you. Might be he's sore about somethin' else."

"I don't know that he was sore," Nux ran a finger along the inside of his bowl, sure to eat every scrap, as they were told. "He was laughin' plenty earlier when they was shreddin' me." He wriggled on the seat, trying to see over the dash and wheel before very carefully setting the clay bowl up and out of harm's way. "They was just playin' Crack the Nux." He grunted, clearly not enjoying said game. "He thinks its funny, I think. You're a real Black Thumb?" A change of subject felt apt.

Ace wouldn't argue. And he didn't have a great deal of advice to give. It was something among Brothers. Something the pup would have to sort out for himself. But that didn't mean Ace couldn't give him something better than just words.

"Sure am. You lookin' to get yer hands dirty when yer grown, eh?"

The pup nodded, a smile reaching his bruised lips as a sparkle of something returned to his bright blue eyes. "They say I'm real fast with the oil!" He announced proudly.

"Fast, hm? Know all yer tools, yet?" He pointed to the belt around the boy's waist, heavy with various screwdrivers, pliers, and pockets full of bolts, screws, and all manner of scrap.

"Um! YES!" He immediately replied, although the answer was a hazy 'no'. He didn't need to know the names to know you used a heavy wacking-thing to push down rivets and a twisty pinchy thing to grab stuff, right? Nux squirmed in the seat in his excitement, tucking his feet under him to face Ace fully with rapt attention. "I'm real good at making things! I made a dash caddy for a War Boy and he gave me a green thing to eat!"

"Really, now?" Ace grinned at the exuberant War Pup, suddenly so excited even when his eyes were still bloodshot and puffy from tears. He was a resilient one, alright. And Ace wouldn't see that spirit crushed under angry fists. The boy needed higher aspirations. A clear path to the glory of Walhalla.

"Come on. This ol' girl needs her rest, eh?" Ace patted down the dash of the old car with marked affection and pushed open the door, stepping out and straightening up as he waited for the pup to follow. "You might be fast runnin' oil...but I'll bet I got somethin' faster."

Excited and curious now, Nux hopped down from the driver's seat, swallowing a wince as he landed on a bruised leg and tried to hide his limp as he scurried around to join his new friend. "Faster?" A wrench slipped from his tool belt with a clatter, and he quickly dipped down to heft it, and the entire belt up again. It was heavy, but he was intent on carrying it like a real proper War Boy, even if that meant standing with a bit of a stoop and bent knees as he eagerly beamed up at Ace.

A long walk carried them both down to the lower levels of the Citadel, the dimming sky pin-pricked with the faint hint of stars. And down in the lowest garage where the Machines, ready for war, dormant volcanoes itching to erupt. To a little war pup, they were great steel beasts, huge and hulking, like looking out on a sea of seraphim.

Ace lead Nux to one in particular; an old Deuce Coupe, rusted and in need of paint, but a capable engine housed within. "Whaddayah think of the ol' girl, eh?"

Nux was hobbling under the weight of the tool belt, gripping it with his hands to heft it's wares as he gaped at the great metal monsters. It was eerily quiet this time of day, and quite different from the garages he had done Scavenging Duty in. These were the Beasts of War, the live machinery not in need of repair or to be gutted or stripped, the running engines of their Daddy Immortan. When his eyes fell on the Coupe, his brows furrowed. Truthfully, he didn't know much about cars. He knew they had Wheels and Engines and War Boys used them for War, which made sense. As far as what made them go, or what made one car better than another was beyond the tiny Pup. In his head, the biggest were the most powerful. Like the big rigs the Imperators drove, or The Immortan's chariot. Bigger, he had to assume, meant more power and more speed. Compared to them, the rust bucket seemed puny. Even so, he had to be polite out of respect for his new friend's kindness, "It's not terribly shiny." He settled for.

Ace laughed, and patted the car's hood. "It's not the outside, pup. But inside, that engine's the shiniest of this whole lot. I'll prove it to yah."

He slid into the driver's seat through the wide window, and reached over to push open the passenger's door for Nux. And once they were both settled, the engine rumbled to life, echoing through the great chasm of cars.

"Hold on, fella!" Ace's grin was ear to ear as he pulled his goggles down over his eyes, twisting the wheel as he swerved through the rows of metal beasts and out into the cooling air of dusk, wind whipping through the open windows, sand exploding out behind them. And the car lurched as Ace shifted gears, and charged faster, growled louder as they peeled away, into a field of dotted firelight.

The Wretched had set up their camps, made fires to keep them warm in the growing cold of oncoming night. A flickering light show zipping past as Ace drove for the dunes.

Nux couldn't pull his eyes away from the blur of light and roar of sound and wind, fighting every urge to lean out the window and howl excitedly into the night. SO FAST! How could this tiny thing be so fast? And it only got faster, his little hands clinging to the door frame, but his smile only grew wider. This must have been what it was like to fly, like the vultures he'd sometimes spotted, or the crow-things from the stories. Had Slit ever ridden in a War Machine before, he wondered? He bet not.

He tried to ask something, say something, but all that could escape was a wild series of giggles, getting dizzy as the firelights whipped past.

"Alright, c'mere, pup!" Ace slapped his thigh and stretched out his arm to gather Nux over to him, guiding him up onto his lap as they raced toward the first of the dunes. "Grip the wheel tight! We're gonna fly!"

He gunned the gas as the nose of the Coupe shot upward, wheels chewing the side of the dune, climbing high, and vaulting over the crest, suspended for all of two or three seconds that felt like minutes in the cool, open air. The car groaned and bounced when the tires found the slope of the other side again, racing for the next jump.

"Wait, what?" Was all Nux managed as he was scooped up onto the driver's lap, little hands gripping the steering wheel tight in terror and amazement. It wasn't until they landed with a heavy groan of metal and spray of sand did he even register just where he was sitting, what he was doing. Again, Ace sent them leaping and he gave a wild yell of excitement, knuckles white as his paint, heart jumping into his throat with every sharp turn and jump.

Ace cut the car into a sharp turn, tires grinding circles in the sand as they spun, War Boy and pup laughing and hollering out into the night. But the guzzoline couldn't last forever, and when the Coupe finally grumbled and creaked to a stop in the sand, Ace gave the boy's belly a few firm slaps, chuckling and leaning his arm over the open window's edge.

"Good drivin' there, Nux!"

"I wasn't really!" Nux still couldn't hold in his giggles, slapping the War Boy back in defense. "That was so Chrome! Will we get in trouble? Can we do it again? I didn't know it went so fast! It doesn't look that fast when they drive off!"

"Not tonight, fella. Next shipment of guzzoline comes in, maybe we'll go again, eh? Start comin' round the garages. Lots to learn if yah ever wanna have a girl of yer own." Ace grinned, his rough hand stroking the outer door as the cool air filtered through, and the engine growled softly, tires pulling forward at a gentler pace as he wheeled it around, climbing up to perch over a wide dune.

The Citadel towered before them, circled with dots of flickering orange and yellow set against the deep blue of night.

"One of my own?" The moonlight seemed to sparkle off the war pup's wide icy eyes as he twisted his head around to beam up at Ace in wonder. "Slit says Imma' Below Boy, aint never get that high in the ranks! He promised he'd let me be his Lancer, though…"

"That so?" Ace frowned, curling one arm around the boy as he watched the dancing lights, and kept Slit's name in mind. If he caught the little pike, he'd give him a good cuff for his deception. "Well, he must'a heard wrong. Don't matter if yer from Below. Lots of us are. Now, if you wanna be Lancer, that's one thing…"

He pushed the door open, arm still hooked around Nux's belly, hauling him up and out before perching him atop the rusted roof of the Coupe. "But ain't a thing stoppin' yah becomin' a Driver."

Nux hefted the tool belt up again before it weighed down his trousers, still beaming excitedly down at the War Boy. "A driver! Imagine! That would be a good way to go!" His gaze shifted out to the dark sandy dunes they had just torn across, mind filled with speed and power, out running everything. Die in a blaze of glory behind a wheel like in all the stories… He wobbled forward to grab the Lancer's Station poles, nearly slipping with a yelp before catching himself, and his tool belt. "I'd like that! What do I gotta' do! How do you get a car! Do I gotta' kill someone? I'm good at biting!"

"Nothin' quite that extreme just yet, pup," Ace laughed, watching the boy with a close eye, ready to catch him if he fell. "First, you'll need to become a Black Thumb. Best there is. Gotta know an engine inside an' out til' you could bust it down an' put it back together with yer eyes closed. Start comin' 'round the garage...Watch an' learn. Yer old enough to start learnin' the tools an' parts."

"You'll teach me?" Nux beamed, letting the War Boy help him down from the top of the vehicle before he broke something.

"'Course," Ace grunted softly as he put the boy down, the night air growing cold. "But you gotta be sure, now. Gotta give it yer all, eh? A car ain't just an engine an' bits of metal. Car's got a soul. Car's yer family. Yer child. So every time yah touch on someone else's car, you remember that."

"Cars is family. Your baby." Nux repeated, eyes now on the Coupe as he reached up to gently pat her door, like stroking a quiet animal. "But they shred the other cars? They're blowin' up people's babies!"

"Not out there," Ace said, gesturing out to the sands beyond the territory of the Citadel. "Out there, cars're nothin' but metal. They don't got the blessin' of the Immortan in 'em. He's what gives a Thing a soul. An' we build ours up in service to him. Out there, cars is just like animals. Feral. An' they got a taste for these ol' girls…"

He, too, patted the Coupe's side gently, and opened the door to slide back down inside. "Big responsibility, an' a tough job, keepin' 'em alive. So...think you got it in yah?"

"Yah!" The war pup chirped, "Mine'll be the bestest, fastest, most loved car out there!" He scrambled around to climb back in the passenger's seat before he was left behind, still clinging to his tool belt as he settled in for the ride home. His mind was buzzing with everything, from the speed of the ride, the weight of the belt around his scrawny middle, to the lessons Ace had already given him, and the promise of more in the future. Of the majestic metal beasts of the Immortan, and the shiny future within them. "I'll be the best Black Thumb, an' Daddy Immortan will smile on me with pride!" Thoughts of that afternoon's events were driven far from his mind in an explosion of guzzleine.

The drive back was slow and calm compared to the excitement from before. But Ace felt his chest swell at the wonder in the boy's eyes. Things were good, when the Pups were happy. They all had such short lives, so little time, and to spend it miserable was a tragic waste when there was so much Glory to be had.

With the Coupe parked, Ace gave a kiss to the old girl's warm hood, and lead Nux away, toward the large den of boys all curled up and already dreaming.

"See yah tomorrow, then, eh?" he whispered, and gave Nux's chest a light tap with the back of his hand.

"Tomorrow!" Nux had nearly fallen asleep by the time they arrived back at the Citadel, rubbing his eyes as Ace had lead him back to the barracks, but was all smiles and excitement once again as they gave their goodbyes. He wobbled, debating what else he could do to express his gratitude, finally bobbing with his hands over his head and knitted in a heartfelt salute. "Won't disappoint!" He added, hoping it wasn't a lie.

Exhaustion was taking it's toll, though, after such an eventful day, and he couldn't hold back his yawns as he carefully stepped his way through the throng of pups to his nest near Slit's, collapsing in a jingle of tools and hardware. He undid his new belt, rearranging it more comfortably across his chest where another Pup couldn't snatch it from him while he slept, and he could happily wrap his arms around the leather pouches as he burrowed his way into the rags with a soft sigh.

Imagine! Him! A proper Black Thumb gear-head with a car of his own one day! He decided then and there he wanted a little one, fast as Ace's, but he'd polish that rust off to the shiny metal under it so everyone would know just who was Chrome…


End file.
